Taxes - Far canal

[chameleon]

and collectively, private debt in australia is 800 billion. That's $44 000 for every man woman and baby in the country. MADNESS!

Does that include home loans, then it's not too bad as I have the debt of 3 or 4 people.

Yes, it includes all personal debt (Aust debt aside from gov and corporate) The problem with housing is that half the people who had nearly paid them off took out equity and bought decks/pools/ new falcons etc. Making yourself a debt slave just for a posh car * a bike I could understand *

Interest rates are low. 20 years ago they were 18% and there is nothing stopping them going back up there again. That would put the cold water on any house price boom.

[gray_rm]

and collectively, private debt in australia is 800 billion. That's $44 000 for every man woman and baby in the country. MADNESS!

Does that include home loans, then it's not too bad as I have the debt of 3 or 4 people.

20 - some people must be thanking me!

[MickLC]

....sorry, I just hate the Canberra bashing when people are referring to Federal politicians...they aren't ours, they're yours. They just meet here every now and then, we don't want them

Mick
funny you say that
my cousin who lives in Canbra...sez exactly the same

Would canberra actually exist if it wasnt for the politicians?

Yeah but it would be called Queanbeyan

[Colette]

....sorry, I just hate the Canberra bashing when people are referring to Federal politicians...they aren't ours, they're yours. They just meet here every now and then, we don't want them

Mick
funny you say that
my cousin who lives in Canbra...sez exactly the same

Would canberra actually exist if it wasnt for the politicians?

Yeah but it would be called Queanbeyan

[Gosling1]

....sorry, I just hate the Canberra bashing when people are referring to Federal politicians...they aren't ours, they're yours. They just meet here every now and then, we don't want them

Mick
funny you say that
my cousin who lives in Canbra...sez exactly the same

Would canberra actually exist if it wasnt for the politicians?

Yeah but it would be called Queanbeyan

are you knocking Queanbeyhole mate ?? HUH well HUH ???

its almost as good as Bungenhole, on the way to the coast via Braidhole !!

as far as Canberra bashin'........ like you said, they get elected and sent here by their own electorates, and all of a sudden its OUR fault that these wankers make idiotic decisions......its a load of horseshit, but will never go away as long as the Daily Telegraph continues to deliver to the lowest common denominator........

[Smitty]

..its a load of horseshit, but will never go away as long as the Daily Telegraph continues to deliver to the lowest common denominator........

..............politicians

[John H]

I don't mind paying high taxes, if it means that we get Medicare, decent old age pensions, enough uni and TAFE places, quality schools, etc.

I've been to Norway and Sweden where income taxes are crazy - I think the top marginal rate in Norway is 68%. Strangely enough, they're very nice countries to live in with low crime, high employment, good roads, good public transport, good hospitals and schools. Whereas in the low-taxing USA...

To everyone who wants tax cuts - how do you want to pay for your health care next time you get sick and require major surgery? Want to take a second mortgage out on the house so you can afford a heart bypass operation?

[Felix]

I've been to Norway and Sweden where income taxes are crazy - I think the top marginal rate in Norway is 68%. ... they're very nice countries to live in with low crime, high employment, good roads, good public transport, good hospitals and schools. ...
To everyone who wants tax cuts - how do you want to pay for your health care next time you get sick and require major surgery? Want to take a second mortgage out on the house so you can afford a heart bypass operation?

Yes, I have often said we need to live in a Society, not an Economy...

[Smitty]

....

To everyone who wants tax cuts - how do you want to pay for your health care next time you get sick and require major surgery? Want to take a second mortgage out on the house so you can afford a heart bypass operation?

I for one don't necesarily want a tax cut
I just want my taxes used properly

this year the Feds will end up with somewhere between $8-12 BILLION
more received from us taxpayers..than what they spent
and
its NOT being used to give us better hospitals or school
(or especially NO better roads)etc

In my case I pay around $1800 normal Medicare plus a further
$1400 Medicare levy...which is fine
but I am also expected to take out hospital insurance
for another $1800pa ...to cover my possible future heart attack
and I have been paying this sorta $ for a long time.

to me....
that sez the Feds are pissing our (yep ...yours and mine)
taxes up against the wall

I am happy with our tax levels...provided we get value for money.
but imo, the John and Pete team don't consider that a priority
and that clouds my opinion about politicians

no cheers here

Smitty

[Felix]

The only reason they run a surplus is because we have Labour governments at the state level. It is designed to make the Labour governments look incompetent. Ideology at its best.

[mick_dundee]

To everyone who wants tax cuts - how do you want to pay for your health care next time you get sick and require major surgery? Want to take a second mortgage out on the house so you can afford a heart bypass operation?

John, I've never said I wanted a tax cut, even when they offer it it's like 2-3 bucks a week, save me the tax cut and put it into hospitals and shit that's going to do far more good, dunno about other states but JFK (that's Jeff and Felicity Kennett, not the US JFK) has fucked hospitals here in Vic I reckon....

Schools probably aren't a heck of a lot better but having no kids I freely admit to knowing sfa about them really

[MickLC]

...this year the Feds will end up with somewhere between $8-12 BILLION
more received from us taxpayers..than what they spent
and
its NOT being used to give us better hospitals or school
(or especially NO better roads)etc

Seriously mate, you Victorians cannot complain about your roads...they piss all over anything we have in Canberra (where the pollies are allegedly looking after themselves )

...and guess what - health, schools and roads are all state government concerns

[Smitty]

...this year the Feds will end up with somewhere between $8-12 BILLION
more received from us taxpayers..than what they spent
and
its NOT being used to give us better hospitals or school
(or especially NO better roads)etc

Seriously mate, you Victorians cannot complain about your roads...they piss all over anything we have in Canberra (where the pollies are allegedly looking after themselves )

...and guess what - health, schools and roads are all state government concerns

Mick
not talking about Vic ...was talking about the whole country
(inc you lot in Canbra)
....petrol/fuel taxes raise many squillions of $$ and nationally,
approx only 40% goes back into roads (meaning new roads/repairing roads bridges culverts etc)
and
remember, us long complaining taxpayers were told when introduced.....
all fuel taxes will go to new/improvement of roads

ha!

and yes, schools and health (and roads) are state concerns..to be managed and run by them.... but I hate to say it- the funding comes from the Feds

remember the shit fight when Costello withheld the funding for
our Eastlink Fwy ...coz Bracksie decides to make it a tollway?

whoever controls the purse strings mate......


cheers

[balanse]

Plus they are cashing in (tax financed) assets left right and centre like the snowy and spending that too.

So we pay lots of tax, pay for our kids to be educated (charges, fees even in public schools now), pay for medical care (health insurance), pay for roads (tolls and speed tax), pay for moving around (airport taxes), pay to use a bank (govt fees and charges) and pay for everything else (GST).

I feel ripped off.

[mick_dundee]

Plus they are cashing in (tax financed) assets left right and centre like the snowy and spending that too.

No we aren't balanse, JFK got rid of everytihng but the Snowy ages ago, hocked our arse to the max Surprised the Snowy slipped thourgh someohow...